The Scorch Trials picks up where The Maze Runner left off. The Gladers have escaped the Maze, but now they face an even more treacherous challenge on the open roads of a devastated planet.

And WICKED has made sure to adjust the variables and stack the odds against them.

Can Thomas survive in such a violent world? – GOODREADS

Newsflash … This is the best book I’ve read this year … End of Newsflash.

I was a fan of the first book (The Maze Runner) and I loved this one even more. It’s one of those series that you read and totally immerse yourself in, but there’s a constant doubt in the back of your mind as to whether you (or the characters) are being tricked and misled. Nothing is as it seems … Or is it? … I love that uncertainty.

Fresh from their escape from the Maze, the Gladers find themselves at the whim of WICKED once again. Were they ever free of them? (Read it to find out) In this book, snippets of information are slowly revealed, teasing us with clues about the bigger picture. Who is WICKED? Who is Thomas? Where did the Gladers come from? Why are they there? Did another team survive the maze? Every clue brings more questions, so if you like to be kept on your toes from one page to the next, then you’ll love the mystery in this one.

Thomas is still the main guy, and just when he starts to relax because everything is going well, his mysterious mind link with Theresa from book 1 is suddenly broken. That’s when things start to go a little haywire and turn dangerous. Thomas is completely disheartened when he discovers that Theresa has vanished without a trace. He fears the worst. What’s happened to her? Is she still alive? And the fact that she’s been replaced by a new guy called, Aris, who can also talk to Thomas with his mind, is another great twist.

The Gladers are forced to embark on a new and even more treacherous journey known as the Scorch Trials. I won’t tell you why they have to go, or what they get if they succeed – you’ll need to read it yourself. The Scorch Trials lead them through impossibly long and dark underground tunnels, across scorching desert, and into the dangerous streets of a city in ruins. Every turn brings more danger, whether it be from deadly mechanical beasts, extremes of Mother Nature or zombie-like-diseased-human-leftovers that chase them without an ounce of mercy. There is such a constant barrage of deadly challenges in this book, that it’s not just a question of ’Who will make it to the end?’ It’s a question of ’Will they make it to the end?’

I’m literally busting to see what the next book in the series brings. If it’s as good as this one I’ll be a very happy lad. On a side note, I’m also really looking forward to seeing The Maze Runner movie (Book 1), which is due for cinema release in September 2014. I’m crossing my fingers that The Scorch Trials movie won’t be too long a wait after that. I’m sure it’ll be brilliant (fingers crossed).

FYI – As with The Maze Runner, this one definitely sits in the Young Adult bucket, not Middle Grade.

This book is a full-on action-packed thrill ride from cover to cover. It’s got new friends, old friends, new foes, old foes, betrayal, doubt, pain, hope, hopelessness. I could go on, but I think you get the message … it’s got heaps crammed into it. Highly recommended.

Connect with S.W. Lothian

What I’m currently working on

New York City has a secret.

The first book of my new YA series, SUBWAY | PALLIATOPIA, was released in April 2018. It’s an incredible story full of thrilling twists and suspense, where the characters find themselves in the middle of a nightmare beyond belief.

If you love The Hunger Games/The Maze Runner/The 5th Wave/Divergent, then you won’t be able to resist SUBWAY | PALLIATOPIA.

Change is also in the air for the QUEST series. I’ve decided it’s time to rebrand and refresh the series for an older teen/YA audience before I release Book 4, THE MISSING LINK. The newly rebooted QUEST series (including Book 4) will be out in late 2018.

I have redesigned the covers for my TIME SQUARE series. I think that they now reflect the fluidity, disintegration, and movement of everything through time.

Book 3 of the series, TIME SQUARE | TRIANGLE, will see Team ELMR head off on another incredible adventure. I hope to release it in 2019.